A medical electrical lead typically includes one or more elongate conductors, each of which electrically couples an electrode of the lead to a corresponding connector contact of the lead. Each conductor includes a conductor wire surrounded by a layer of insulation to electrically isolate one wire from another and/or to isolate each wire from the operating environment of the lead, for example, within a body of a patient who receives therapy via the lead.
According to some lead designs known in the art, the insulating layer is formed directly over each conductor wire; lead conductor wires may be a cabled plurality of individual wire strands or one or more individual wire filars formed into a coil. In order to electrically couple a lead electrode to a lead connector contact, the insulating layer of the corresponding conductor must be removed from at least two portions of the corresponding wire, a first portion at a junction with the electrode, and a second portion at a junction with the contact. Each of these junctions should add a minimum of electrical resistance to the electrical circuit, which is formed by the electrode, conductor, and contact, and have an adequate strength to maintain good contact under operational loading conditions. Although many such conductor junctions are known in the art, there is still a need for improved conductor junctions which, in addition meeting the above criteria, can facilitate manufacturing efficiency of medical electrical leads.